Just A Cry in the Wilderness..

A reader-former student-friend emailed the following...

I respect her views and her perspective... and I decided 

to share it with you...

Hello Hello!  I liked your post about Women's Day [Yesterday's post]. I have to tell you though, I don't want a day.  I would rather have a lifetime to be remembered and respected than just a day.  They give us those silly pins, I'm sure you remember, from the unions.  I refuse to wear them.  Every year they give them to us!!! "Wear these pins to show your respect for women!" I would rather show my respect and be shown respect through actions and words rather than a pin.  What a waste of money.  Respect is free. The people who wear the pins are already respectful, I would know who they are without their pins.   I was just reading something you might find interesting.  As I'm sure you know, this year, in the Catholic Church, is the Year of Mercy.  Pope Francis has a daily meditation posted on the Vatican website, and today's was called The Forgiveness Equation.  Near the end of the meditation, the Pope explains that "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" is an equation.  If you think about it, it's true.  I always teach my students that an equal sign means that if something is done to one side, it has to be done to the other.  If we expect mercy and forgiveness from God, we also have to show mercy and forgiveness to others.  It's such a great thought, and seems so easy...but it's not.  We all want to be forgiven, even if we pretend we don't care, but that can't happen unless we are capable of forgiving others.   Just something I thought I would share with you tonight before I head to bed.

After reading the email I imagined the day when ALL people will talk with each other and discuss ideas and come to solutions... WITHOUT RESORTING TO VIOLENCE... WITHOUT ENGAGING IN WAR...
Maybe some day... Maybe it will be possible...

 ***

Edvard Munch's portrait of existential angst is the second most famous image in art history... They say the first is Mona Lisa...

I had Munch's painting in my classroom... Just to remind me that if I do not connect with the students, then my whole effort will be a cry in the wilderness...

A Call in the Wilderness...

Beneath a boiling sky, glowing with yellow, orange and red, burning in space and time... an androgynous-bisexual figure stands upon a bridge. Wearing a sinuous, plant-like curvy, blue coat, which appears to flow, surreally devoid of time and space and gravity, into a torrent of aqua, indigo and ultramarine behind him, a deluge of unknown and unreal nihility, he holds up two elongated, off sized,  hands on either side of his hairless, skull-like head. His hairless head spotlights his fear and loneliness... His detachment from the surrounding... His "alone"ness in the vast-without-limits universe.

His eyes wide with shock, he unleashes a bloodcurdling shriek. Despite distant vestiges of normality – two figures upon the bridge, a boat on the fjord – everything is suffused with a sense of primal, overwhelming horror.
Fear of the known, in his hairless skull... Fear of the unknown around him... The reality in him and the surreal environment without him... Do create an unresolved contradiction... which challenges the existence and psyche of "his-her-her-his" BEING... 
... And thus the frightful... atrocious... and alarming... Angst-cry in the Wilderness... "She-he-he-she" shout of the times... in the void... in space without limit... a bottomless abyss... a skyless heaven... which no one hears... but we know that it is here and it is real...
Because the inexplicable in us... without us... has identified the "He-she-she-he" solitude... the aloneness... without time and space... devoid of all known gravity... the attraction of the like... the repulsion of the...

I told Ross... I just did my best... and I hope it makes a difference... I am not sure that it did... I am not sure that things are better now, than they were then... But essentially each one of us can only try... and then hope for the best...
I had the Starry Night of Van Gogh too on the classroom wall... They sort of complemented each other... The stars in the vast space... and the fear of the unknown and eventually the Scream...

Yesterday I say a composite of the Starry night and the Scream... and it amused me... and here it is... both in one frame...

I poured a glass of wine and just looked at the night... It is full moon today... I will wake up at four an absorb the lights from the moon... The full moon penetrates into my home at four in the morning and I always make a point of waking up and sitting there... in the dark... with the moon... all by myself... quiet... without music... and look at the moon and remember things that I will still do... tomorrow... Maybe the next day too...

***

Maybe all we can do is just cry in the void of the wilderness...!

Maybe we are just the joke of the universe... and we are unable to handle the joke... 

Maybe we are not superhuman after all...

And yet we do not want to settle down...

Maybe we are just a speck and rebellion will not achieve anything...

Ross said never mind all the nonsense and do not give up... and if you make a mistake, Ross said, "You are allowed..." 

Just yelling will not help... But if you try might succeed...

***

Ross said all that and Ross was a wise man ...

Happy International Women's Day...

This is what I wrote to my daughters and wife... earlier in the morning... and I forwarded it to my son in law and another friend whose wife passed away six years ago and now he is living with a girl friend... He was bored by himself...
Read below...

I celebrate women's day... every day... I think it is a bit belittling, to say the least, to designate a day for women... for mothers... and so on... I told this to my classes and let me tell you too... After completing the creation of the world... God looked at "his" handiwork and said; "It's marvelous...," so created Adam to enjoy everything... Adam walked around and looked around played with the animals a bit, but started getting bored... "Nothing to do... No one to bully..." and boredom and suicidal thoughts wrapped him... God noticed Adam's loneliness and created Eve... a companion to him... But since God had gained experience while creating Adam... "He" created Eve MUCH BETTER... and looked at "his" handiwork and was satisfied... "He" relaxed and said; "I created the best first... then I created the "best"est..." God relaxed on Sunday... But being a "He"... like Adam, he got bored too... and in order to quail "His"created boredom... "He" created music... and listened to divine harmony... and relaxed and amused "Himself" looking after Adam and Eve playing in the Garden of Eden...

***

Unfortunately women are conditioned... to behave like men desire them to behave...
Check the absurd ways women demean and behave... just to please the males...

International Women's Day...

The fact that the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue still exists is a potent statement about attitudes towards women in America. The annual edition of bikini-clad women has been hitting news-stands for more than 50 years, and although the swimsuits only get tinier - body paint is now a common substitution for fabric - the women on its pages are starting to diversify... and all because women want to please their male counterparts... Women do the cheer-leading... still... just to please their male counterparts...

Women bare everything... just to please their male counterparts...

Liberated from the shackles of patriarchy and the confines of clothes it seems... I am not sure what she wants to prove... !

***

In the U.S. presidential campaign...  Hillary Clinton is mocked and is subjugated to sexist jokes... 

The male candidates even praised the size of their dick... and joked about their manhood...
What a degrading way to debate and discuss world affairs...
Indeed God failed in His first attempt in creating human beings... Adam is an almost total failure... and looking at the U.S. Presidential campaign you will have the adequate and indisputable proof of this fact... God failed in creating Adam... so tried a second time and created Eve... But man became jealous and decided to subjugate women... with their power and dick... because they could not have won by thinking and reason... The power of men is below their belt... The power of women is in their head...

The Church dominated by men... and that's not only for Christians... It is the same with Muslims and Hindus and Confucians and Jews...

Women still make only 75 cents to every dollar made by men... They still are subject to double jeopardy... working outside to earn money and working at home to look after the men... in their lives... 

When a Syrian mother arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos, drenched and struggling to feed her baby, three grandmothers, or yiayiades stepped in... Militsa Kamvisi, 83, gave the baby a bottle of milk while she and her friends sang a lullaby... The three grannies and the baby... indicate the nurturing wonder of women... while men are somewhere fighting and warring with each other...

Yesterday, the U.S. and South Koreans began "war games"... Yes, they call it "war games..."  It is unthinkable when God will halt "His" big joke... and grant some brain to men too... So as women and men will celebrate International Women's Day next year together... without wars... and in PEACE...

Ross Did NOT Write the Petition...

What is it that they cannot SHARE...? 

Ross , the chaplain at the last school that I was teaching, did not like wars... and that was not a passive sentiment... He actively participated in meetings against wars and wrote to the government regularly... and blasted ALL wars... He wrote about Christian love and insisted that not only Christianity, but ALL religions were against war...

I had misgivings about his claim... and insisted that one cannot believe in peace and at the same time wage war...

That's where my misgiving about organized religion emanates... The religious groups point to their "Holy Books" and insist that their religion advocates peace... I on the other hand, point to their history and indicate that all they did is war with each other... I whispered to Ross that actions speak louder than words and its is not what the "Holy Books" write, but what organized religion does... Some burn witches on stakes and others chop the heads of the infidels... They decapitate... 

I have told Ross that the Christian "Holy Book" should be ONLY the New Testament... Since whatever Jesus preached is a total departure from the Old... The "eye for an eye" of Judaism is NOT "turn the other cheek" of Christianity... I told Ross that Christianity is a REVOLUTIONARY RUPTURE and NEGATION of the Old ways... Christianity is a departure from the Old Ways...

For me the Old Testament is very similar to Greek and Roman mythology... But the New Testament is the living teachings of Jesus...

So we had debates... whenever we did not have other things to do... 

The Seder Supper annoyed me... I told Ross that at the Last Supper Jesus talked about the last time He will be eating with them... the next time they will "see" him will be after the Resurrection and that's where the New will begin and that's how the rupture with the Old will begin...

Ross , hated the wars and pointed to the waste which the arms race generates... He firmly believed that we can feed everyone in the world and eradicate poverty when we devote our resources for the benefit of the people and not manufacture arms and armaments... 

***

Check below the tons of waste that could have been used to feed and shelter people...

But check the cat and mouse game in the South China Sea...

Chinese ship are watching over U.S. Ship... They are playing a cat and mouse game with each other... and you never know... mistakes happen... and they may fire on each other... What if the mistake happens... ? 

Confucius was for peace... Jesus was for peace... 

Then why China and the U.S. are manufacturing arms and not food... Why cannot they feed the hungry in China and in the U.S. ... and the hungry of the world too...?

Check this absurdity... below...!!!!!

Four nuns of Mother Teresa slain by gunmen in Yemen...

 Unidentified gunmen stormed a retirement home run by Catholic nuns in Aden, Yemen shooting 16 people to death, including 4 Indian nuns...

What is it that they are unable to share... After all both sides are fighting in the name of Allah...!

 

The care home looked after some 80 elderly people... I am not sure what will happen now... !
How does Allah advocate the destruction of an OLD AGE HOME...?
How does Allah justify the killing of Missionary nuns... ?

Organized religion... this time Muslims... One Shia (Iran) and the other Sunni (Saudi Arabia)... are fighting in Yemen... a very POOR COUNTY...!

Why cannot they feed the people... instead of killing them...?

The Pope condemned the killings of the nuns... 

But to be more credible I will suggest that ALL heads of organized religion... The Pope in Rome... The Moderator of the Anglicans in London, the Patriarch of Moscow... and the rest of the heads of Christian Churches... Also the rabbis of the synagogues and the muftis of the mosques... and the Dalai Lama and the Hindu and Sikh and Chinese and Japanese and Korean priest... should come together...

Organize a world conclave of ALL THE FAITHS... and denounce ALL the wars... and condemn the manufacturing of arms and ammunition...

Condemn the manufacturing of weapons... and advocate PEACE... 

Let the Pope take the initiative... Let him invite all the heads to Rome... and let "organized religion" come out for World PEACE...

I am sure ALL the Gods of the various religions will be HAPPY...

I told this several times to Ross, my friend... He agreed... I suggested to him that he as the chaplain of our school might take the initiative and write to Rome... and may be all the students can sign the petition... Ross looked at me in bewilderment... and he never took leadership... !

Organized religion can do a lot... so far they have not... will they act on what they preach...? 

I doubt it... I honestly do... 

Ross Gave $300 to the Drug Addict...

  

Beethoven's Fifth is playing on the radio... and I have a glass of wine near my lap top... I was reading... and then I came across to an item which captured my imagination and took me few years back... Ross, my friend and the chaplain of the last school where I was teaching, wanted me to meet a former student... I did not know him... He was way before my arrival... But he warned me... that the guy is a juvenile delinquent... He is a druggy... and to satisfy his drug habit... He was been in fights and he has survived by stealing... He has been in and out of jail several times... I was very much surprised and apprehensive... I was hesitating... and Ross noticed that...
"He is a very ice guy... You will like him...," Ross encouraged me.
So after few minutes of ambivalence and hesitation I agreed...
Next day after school I drove Ross to a diner in the downtown core... It was Friday and it was okay... 
The guy was in his late twenties... He definitely knew how to charm people by his conversation... and he had an enticing, very inviting laugh... He swore like the rats in the gutter... and he promised Ross that he will commit himself to rehab and cure himself... He was serious, but I had misgivings... I doubted him... He told us that he had incurred debts and he had no job.
At the end of the dinner, to my great surprise, Ross gave him $300 for groceries and the rest... 
The guy took the money... Hugged Ross... He noticed that I was not that eager to hug... goodbyed me and walked out of the diner... 
We stayed there for few more minutes... Paid the bill and headed to a familiar place for a nightcap... Just Ross and I...
We asked for brandy...
"I know that he is cheating me...," said Ross. He was serious and sad too... "But I hope that he will change... I am his only hope.
I know that he takes advantage of me... But I cannot stop trying... Trying is ALL I have...," Ross stopped for a sip...
"But that's lots of money...," I objected.
"This is not the first time and it will not be the last...," Ross sighed... "But tell me if I should turn my back to him... The world has rejected him already...," Ross sipped and sighed...
Ross had a point... he had done the "math without numbers..." He was the only life-line left for the guy... 
I did not know what to say...
We had another glass of brandy... and then spiked coffee... 
I drove him home... and continued my way yo mine...
I did not think about the guy... Ross had overwhelmed my thoughts and he stayed with me all along my drive to home...

***

I never wanted to write about this incident... But the item that I read in the morning brought Ross and the guy and our encounter all back... I remembered all and decided to write... 

Because... Read below...

Carlos Adrian Vazquez Jr. is a convicted juvenile.  When he was convicted, he lost the will to live at age 16 as he began serving an 11-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter. he was scarred and did not have much to live for...  Carlos Adrian Vazquez Jr. with his parents, Carlos Vazquez and Adriana Garcia, who have visited him every Sunday at a juvenile jail since the youth’s arrest 2 years and 5 months ago. *** Then he wrote a letter to Pope Francis. "I asked for forgiveness for what I did." Vazquez told... Vazquez wrote; “If only the world were filled with more love, compassion, forgiveness and mercy. Being an outcast of society, I want the world to see us for who we truly are; human beings, who make mistakes like everybody else. But we are able to rise again like a Phoenix,” the youth wrote the Pope. “I will become a leader some day, like Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai. Thank you for your loving and your merciful example to all of us.” To his surprise, the Pontiff wrote back. "Dear Carlos," the Pope wrote, "May the peace of Jesus Christ be with you! I was pleased to receive your recent letter. I pray that as you and your fellow residents celebrate the opening of the Holy Door, you may receive these gifts and be filled with peace and hope,” the Pope wrote. “Know that the Holy Father is thinking of you and praying for you. And please remember to pray for me, because I greatly need your prayers.” The youth was stunned. "I couldn't believe it. I didn't think the Pope would write to someone who's behind bars," said Vazquez, now 18. The Pope's letter continued. He spoke of "a Holy Door to Mercy" being opened at the juvenile jail, in a ceremony led by the Los Angeles archbishop. "I pray that as you and your fellow residents celebrate the opening of the Holy Door, you may receive these gifts and be filled with peace and hope," the Pope wrote. "Know that the Holy Father is thinking of you and praying for you. And please remember to pray for me, because I greatly need your prayers."

I read about the letter of the Pope... and my thoughts went back to Ross and his $300... and I remembered...

"I am his only hope...," Ross told me... and then we went for a night cap... brandy... and spiked coffee...

Ross was a good man... he was a mathematician, albeit... without numbers... above all, he was a good friend... and a saint...too.

Ross and Religion... Ross never sat on Judgement...

Religion is a sensitive and at times ticklish topic... While all religions preach love, it at times have led... will lead to war... While all religions advocate tolerance, they at times are the most racist and divisive forces... Atrocities, massacres and genocides have been committed in the name of religion... 

So, hypocrisy is nothing new to organized religion... which is often confused with religion itself... Often times teachings and practices have come to clash and led us into confusion... Organizations do not represent the religion... The hierarchy of any religion does not coincide with the tenets of that particular religion... 
The Islamic Jihadists to not represent the Muslims...They are just a part of the larger Muslim community...
The Catholic Church, or the various evangelicals- Methodist, Lutheran, and all the rest... or the various Orthodox churches do not represent Christianity... Each one of these is just another presentation of the teachings of Jesus... or Christianity... each interpretation is as valid as the other one...
I have no love for organized groups... I have no absolutely no love for organized religion too... They are part of the problem... maybe they are the problem...
Checking history... we learn the atrocities committed by organized religion... "Christians" against "Christians", "Muslims against "Christians", "Hindus" against "Muslims", "Muslims" against "Muslims"... "Christians" against "Judaism"... "Judaism" against "Muslims"... All these conflicts are portrayed as religion against another religion... But essentially they are the GREED of one group against the GREED of another group... all covered up by religion... Since religion brings out hypersensitivity and extremist stupidity... It is easy to use religion to hype up crowds and led them to commit atrocious acts... Burning people in churches... Deporting people form their lands... Burning people in ovens... making them march to the desert and let them starve to death... God created faith...But humans established organized religion... God gave us love...Humans converted love to hate...
God thought us to love thy neighbour...Humans led us into wars... It is absolutely sad... But then it is the truth...
Ross, my friend and the chaplain at my last teaching post, was disgusted with organized religion... just because of the human abuses... But that did not diminish his faith and his devotion... He loved everyone... he helped all... He said that's what he has learned from his reading of the books...  
Ross, did not reject anyone... did not refuse to help any group and did not envy another group just because they had more... his key to success was to limit his MATERIAL needs... He wanted just whatever he needed... and did not desire more...
He advocated a simple life... and rejected materialism... He said materialism is the bases for all evil...
I and he were good friends...
Simplicity in an ashram... in a monastery... away from the material... Ross said; "materialism kills spirituality and organized groups lead us to organized violence..." He was a good person and a very brilliant mathematician, albeit...without numbers.

***  

Yesterday I read about the Irish priest who had snorted coke and drank few glasses too much...

Ross did not snort drugs, but he was quite liberal in his drinks... He was always furious when they brought him books as gifts... He said that he is a human being and not a reading robot... He said Jesus went to the wedding... and insisted; "I am sure he drank few pitchers of wine too..." So on every gift-giving-day I brought him two bottles of brandy... We drank one of the bottles... and we drank the other bottle on another day... 

He was the chaplain... but he was human too... In fact he was humanely human... that's why we were good friends...

The Irish priest caused an scandal... He is suspended and people gossip about him... and of course about organized religion too...

People start judging... People start bringing forth their inner and well guarded and very well camouflaged prejudices...

In the 24-hour-news-journalism the reporters thrive on gossip and scandals... and the reporters create controversy to produce a salable and marketable product... news has become a commodity and the reporters paddlers of gossip...

Check what the Irish priest has done... See him snorting... and have fun...  

He talked of partying and how he told people he was a social worker. He never mentioned drugs. Not once. And though I did find his demeanour unusual for a priest, I put it down to the youthful exuberance of a young man on his holidays, and besides, I couldn't help liking him.

Father Stephen Crossan, 37, sniffed a large line of the Class A drug through a £10 note while chatting to a pal in a room containing Nazi memorabilia.

       

Caught on camera: Surrounded by Nazi memorabilia, this is the moment Roman Catholic priest Father Stephen Crossan was filmed snorting a line of cocaine at a party in his house on church grounds...

Father Stephen Crossan, 37, is said to have sniffed the class A drug through a £10 note at the end of a night of drinking beers and whiskey.

In the footage he is heard saying 'I shouldn't' before snorting the white powder off a plate while talking to a friend.

Ross will never judge others for what they did... But if you want you may be the judge... The priest snorted... and drank... some say he swore too... 

You may take the frailties of humans to reflect on religion and spirituality... 
The atrocities of organized religion... the wars and genocides... have not reduced my spirituality... and Ross reaffirmed my math without borders and without numbers too...
He was a good person... His spirituality never faltered because of organized religion and its human frailties...

Ross Loved Books... He Read a Book Each Week...

My classroom was on the third floor... and whenever Ross* was on the third floor for dealing with a kid or visiting a teacher... he made a point of looking for me and chatting...maybe a sentence... or maybe two... I always halted my discussion with the students and greeted him... Sometimes I insisted that he has to address the kids... and he did... about math without numbers and without borders too... It was always a welcome break for us and the students appreciated the break too...
One day I noticed Ross rushing furtively in front of my the math workroom... I came out and called after him... He smiled; "I am in a rush..."
I noticed that he was carrying a book... "Did you read it...?" I checked with him... "Yes... I finished it yesterday late into the night... It is a great book..."
It was the first novel written by an Asian physician... It won a first novel prize that year...
"I am taking it to the English teachers...," he said.
"They know enough English... Let me read it first and then I pas it to them...," I continued the conversation...
Ross did not have much choice... he gave the book to me... and returned back to the Chapel to prepare the morning opening ceremonies...
Ross was a greedy reader... he read a book every week... and sometimes more... But he never kept the books to himself... He did not have a library at home... He passed the completed books to others to benefit... That was at least his hope... I read the book... The physician was narrating his student years at the med school... The anatomy lesson... Just a bit morbid... and his first love and how he lost her... and other things that students do... a bit of drinking and a bit of marijuana and the rest... It was a good book... I completed it on the weekend and instead of taking it to the English teachers, I passed it to one of my students... He appreciated it... and asked for other books later on...
The book accomplished its mission... and Ross was a bit annoyed but appreciative too...

*Note: Ross was the Chaplain at my last school... I was teaching math and he was the Chaplain... We were close friends... He was not married and in need of friends... We became close... and he visited me at my home... to meet my wife... and the rest...

***  

Last week I came across two books... and wanted to draw your attention to them... Both were fun to read... I hope your read them too...

Whenever I read a book I remember Ross... and after I complete the book I pour a glass of wine and play classical music and think about my experience reading the book... and sharing that with Ross... 

A profound and moving journey into the heart of Christianity that explores the mysterious and often paradoxical lives and legacies of the Twelve Apostles—a book both for those of the faith and for others who seek to understand Christianity from the outside in.
Peter, Matthew, Thomas, John: Who were these men? What was their relationship to Jesus? Tom Bissell provides rich and surprising answers to these ancient, elusive questions. He examines not just who these men were (and weren’t), but also how their identities have taken shape over the course of two millennia.
I am a spiritual person... and I read about religion whenever I come across a good book... I enjoyed reading Jesus by Depak Chopra... I enjoyed that too...
I hope you'll read both... 
Both are good reading...

***

This one is a social parable which is entertaining and worth reading... The Black guy one day wakes up and notices that he has become white... but only his ass has remained black...
It is very much like the Metamorphosis of Kafka...

   

As in Kafka, the facts of the case are presented in straightforward, deadpan terms. Furo wakes up and discovers that all his skin — save that on his backside — has turned white. The immediate effects of his metamorphosis are alienating. He avoids his family and leaves home for a job interview. On the way, old friends refuse to speak to him. Taxi drivers try to rip him off. He suffers — for the first time in his life — from sunburn. “He learnt how it felt to be seen as a freak,” writes Barrett, “exposed to wonder, invisible to comprehension.”
Very funny and good reading...
I hope you'll find the time to read this one too... and along with it Kafka's Metamorphosis  also...  A must read classic... And if you have the chance visit Prague too... a lovely city... and home for Kafka...

***

I love etymology... and played word games with Ross... 

"Do you know the history of..." or "Do you know the origin of..." this or that word... When I was in high school I read the dictionary... whenever I was bored from the nonsense of the teacher... At times they admonished me... But most of the time I got away with it... Because they could not find an excuse to yell at me... I always said, "I am looking for a word that I could not understand..." and the teacher will be off my back...

Today while reading the morning news and enjoying my first cup of coffee of the day I came across a word which fascinated me... It was the first time I came across to it...

The word is commentariat ... It looks like a newly coined word... and it is great... So I wanted to share it with you... It means the collective of the people who make commentaries and analyze the news on the TV usually...

It parallels: Secretary and secretariat.

Words fascinate me... and each word opens up a new world for us...

Ross Sat on the Fence...

They told me, "Go where you came from..." so I left the meeting and headed to the chapel... I needed quiet "alone" time before I went to my classroom to teach... I stayed there for ten minutes... attempted to get rid of the negativity which was still fuming within... I wanted to liberate myself from the clutches of negative energy... I did not want to face students in a funny mood... The ten minutes were wonderful... peaceful... quiet... I was ready for the kids... Tranquility had overwhelmed the alien mood and I was human again...   
Walking out of the chapel I met Ross... He did not smile... his usual greeting had disappeared... He said; "I know..." A busy body gossip bag had informed him of what happened... I kept quiet... "Why they are like that, I have no clue...?" He said... "You think they will learn... I know you guys have differences... But it should not be like this..." Ross was sitting on the fence... He always sat on the fence... He was never confrontational... He wanted peace...
"Peace be with you...," I said and went to my classroom... I was comfortable with the kids... somehow... I looked into their eyes and realized another time that things will not change... They will be like their elders... I remembered when the Principal informed me that a student, with his parent, had complained about my accent and that he wanted to change his section... I told the Principal..."It's okay with me... I cannot force feed someone... I am too old for that..." The Principal thank me for my cooperation and understanding... While walking out I muse... "How can he say 'cooperation and understanding' referring to racist attitudes... It disgusted me... 
The Principal "cooperated and understood" racism... and Ross sat on the fence... I looked into the eyes of the kids... and realized that nothing will change... After all, nothing has changed for decades...  centuries... millennia...

***

"If anybody’s upset about that joke, just tweet about it on your phone that was also made by these kids," Rock joked afterward.

One of Oscars host Chris Rock's jokes did not sit well with all viewers. The comedian launched into a skit when he introduced the PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants who count the Oscar votes. 

Instead of PWC representatives, Rock introduced three young kids with Asian and Jewish sounding names.

Ross sat on the fence... he did not want to upset anyone... The Principal thanked me for my understanding... He was happy that I did not rock his boat... I accommodated the racist attitude of the student and his parents... All of which were first generation immigrants too and had just another accent unlike mine... 

Ross expected that they would have learned from their books ... and from their experience... He was still expecting that they will learn... I was not so sure...

You think Blacks would have learned from their experience... and avoid racist joke... After all racism is to serious to joke about... You think they would have learned from their past... and not joke about child labour and slavery... After all they had experienced that too... and slave labour is not fun... and one should not joke about it...

Ross still expects that they will learn... The Principal expects that the victim will not rock the boat... The Black host of the Oscars expects that we will appreciate his Smart Alex joke and laugh... and "if anyone's upset about that joke, just tweet about it on your phone...," He said... Implying, Fuck you all... I don't give a damn...